Sonic Youth

Ever since Neil Young’s days playing Yorkville clubs and coffee houses in the 1960s, the iconic singer-songwriter with the love-it-or-hate-it voice has demonstrated a knack for self-sabotage, following up every moment of glory with a move that pisses off even his most ardent fans. This month, Young is celebrated in Neil Young Journeys, a nostalgic feature documentary by director Jonathan Demme. Which only raises the question: how will he mess this one up?

No one would confuse 2012 with 1979, but thanks to genre-bending acts like Denmark’s Iceage, Vancouver’s White Lung and local faves Fucked Up, punk rock is experiencing a modern-day renaissance—both in creativity and in critical adulation. North by Northeast, which runs until Sunday, June 17, certainly isn’t immune to such trends: last year at Yonge-Dundas Square, The Descendants earned devil-horned salutes from yoga moms and denim vest–wearing truants alike. In 2009, fierce girl group Mika Miko, paired with No Age at Lee’s Palace,stole hipster hearts by the bushel. So, at this year’s fest, what new group is poised to graduate from grimy VFW halls to the main stage? The smart money’s on Brooklyn foursome The Men.

“The Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami was a big deal back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, and this is an exciting return for him. An English man and a French womanin sun-drenched Tuscany are mistaken for a couple and decide to keep up the pretense. There are beautiful, subdued moments looking at relationships, before the film turns into more of a mystery.”—Chris McCarroll Manager at Black Dog Video

We’ve managed to keep our wits about us and our energy up all week in order to maximize our concert attendance, but we have to admit we’re a teensy bit relieved it’s the last day of the North by Northeast music marathon. Of course, there’s still plenty to do before we have to return to real life tomorrow. Check out our selections for Sunday, after the jump.

Although our reaction to last year’s Nuit Blanche might best be summed up with an ambivalent shoulder shrug and an apathetic “meh,” we’re cautiously optimistic for this year’s event, scheduled for October 2. Yesterday, the city announced new exhibition sites and the 2010 curators; below, what we’re looking forward to:

1. The four main zones will be centralized along the Yonge-University subway line, meaning that more time can be spent looking at art and less time spent schlepping between Yorkville and Liberty Village.

2. Yonge Street will become a pedestrian mall from Bloor to Front, relieving sidewalk congestion and hopefully reviving one of last year’s charms: the financial district swamped with people not wearing suits.